Bug FAQBog Copper
Lycaena epixanthe · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sesiidae
It lives its whole life in acidic cranberry bogs, where adults sip dew and nectar from cranberries and larvae eat the shrubbery. It flies from late June to early August and has one generation per year, spending most of its life as an egg.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Male upper wings are dark gray-brown with a purplish sheen that glows strongly under UV light. The hind wing edge has orange markings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Bog coppers are found only in acidic cranberry bogs. They spend their entire lives within a single bog.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults sip dew and mainly nectar from cranberry plants. Larvae feed on shrubby cranberries in the heath family.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
About 85 % of its lifespan is spent as an egg. It produces one brood each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from late June to early August, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a North American species of butterfly.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Lycaena hetereonea looks similar but has blue on the upper side and brown underneath.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Connecticut, New York, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see bog copper butterflies?
They are active from late June through early August, depending on the location.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do bog copper caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on shrubby cranberries in the heath family.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a male bog copper from other similar butterflies?
Males have dark gray-brown upper wings with a purplish sheen that glows under UV light and orange markings on the hind wing edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the bog copper live?
It lives exclusively in acidic cranberry bogs and stays within a single bog for its whole life.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sesiidae)
Purplish CopperLycaena helloides
Squash Vine BorerEichlinia cucurbitaeDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bronze CopperLycaena hyllus
Maple Callus Borer MothSynanthedon acerniDamages trees, gardens or crops
Southern Red RimBiblis hyperia
Peachtree Borer MothSynanthedon exitiosaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaena_epixanthe
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.